Powder Hunters
by Slasher2256
Summary: My take on Zombie Powder after Volume 4. Action packed adventure, plenty of OC's.
1. Partners

Author's Note: It's been a while, hasn't it? Lately, I've gotten the urge to write Zombie Powder. Especially action. So, I hope you enjoy.

_"We're leaving, Elwood. I need you to listen." He stood before the grave, and Elwood felt like he couldn't even move. "I'm telling Nazna to give you the ring from Emilio. You keep it, get some friends. If you find me and Smith, you and your friends will fight us. If you win, we'll join together. But if you don't, we take the ring, and you'll never get Zombie Powder." Gamma began to walk forward, he was inches away in a few strides. He thrust a piece of paper into Elwood's hands, his expression serious. "Meet us here. You don't have a lot of time."_

_"Gamma..." Elwood began to speak, but the man closed his eyes. Elwood felt pressure around him, and everything went black. _

Elwood's eyes snapped open. The room was dark, he wasn't aware if it was morning or night. Slowly, the boy rose, his vision hazed by the remaining urge to fall back asleep. The paper was still folded in his hand. He opened it, eyes scanning over the page.

"Meet us at Red City on the 15th." Gamma's familiar scrawl filled up the thin paper. The 15th was only in 2 weeks. Elwood wondered if Wolfina was going to come with him. But on the table by the bed was the familiar gold band. Facing him, an onyx heart stared at him, rocking. Nazna must be using Wolfina already. He let out a sigh, and stopped. Across the room, a blonde haired boy slept soundly. It was Emilio.

"I suppose noone can come with me.." Elwood murmured to himself. He gave one last glance over to the Gemeni Labs. He gave a glance at the sign, noting for a town a few miles ahead. With a heaving breath, he lept off the balls of his feet, pounding forward.

-5 days later.-

"Ah. Steel Tread. Perfect place to find a partner." Elwood stepped forward into a busy street. He wore a long robe, tan and tattered. He glanced around, trying to find some commotion.

"HEY! YOU!" Something big grasped Elwood and spun him around. A dark skinned man towered over him. Pownder. Elwood stared, while the man grinned.

"What'cha up to, kid?" He gently nudged Elwood, making them both walk.

"My name is Elwood. I'm trying to find a partner so I can work at getting the Rings." Elwood didn't mention about the ring he already had. He wasn't sure of where this guy's alliances stood.

"Nice name. Call me Pownder." He grinned again. "You know, I never got to thank you for what you did." Elwood's memory flashed back to their fight before. After lighting the fire eater on fire, he put it out, deciding he had learned his lesson.

"You don't really need to thank me..." Elwood felt really short compared to this guy.

"How 'bout we become partnerS!?" He laughed. "Balmunk ran, so the whole Troop sort of seperated." Elwood stopped, staring at Pownder, trying to find the punchline. But the man was dead serious. His abilities might've developed. Of course, Elwood's did easily.

"...Fine. Geez." Elwood began to walk again. Pownder laughed, slapping the teen on the back. "So, I already have one ring..."

There was a hushed silence in the street. People froze, and both tensed. In a split second, guns were drawn, and the others began to fire immediately. Pownder crouched, but Elwood blurred almost immedeately, kicking the man to the ground. The firing stopped, the barrels stopped with knives.

"Let's behave ourselves, shall we?" A carrying voice stopped both from moving. "There are ladies present." From the sky, something small landed, a few feet away from both. It was a tiny girl, although she could've been a short teen. Cropped chesnut hair went halfway down the neck. An angelic smile was spread across her face.

"Now you be nice gentlemen and hand over that Ring, okay?"

Author's Note: I'm sorry if it was kinda bad. I'll get better, though. Next chapter, there's gonna be a good fight. Okay. So, the whole Pownder thing. In the first chapter cover, it had all of these characters that seem to be part of Gamma's team. Pownder was in there, and he seemed surprised by Elwood's actions. For anyone who's read the Twilight series, I've used a line. The girl was inspired by Alice, but I dunno what to name her. I hope you enjoyed my comeback. Please review!H


	2. The Deadly Flower

Author's Note: I noticed my first chapter kinda just dove into it. I hope this one is better. Enjoy!

"Hand over the ring?" Elwood repeated slowly. He didn't know why he was so shocked. He just had about 23 guns shot at him. But this single girl seemed to shoot through a nerve. She tilted her head, light hair brushing onto her shoulder. The smile faltered a bit, but still remained. So many thoughts ran through Elwood's head. Until it suddenly hit him. She radiated bloodlust.

"POWNDER!" This girl was dangerous. He atleast knew not to underestimate her. He turned, and a light thud caught his attention. Olive eyes stared back at him, instead of the brown he sought out. Pownder stumbled back. The girl balanced on one foot, lightly crouched. Elwood's arms instinctively shot before him as she spun, slamming her airbourne leg into him.

The impact was harder than he could imagine. Elwood rammed into a brick wall, numbly staring at the girl. He wasn't even breathing yet.

"Rose." Her voice was soft as silk. Her arm swung up high, and she spun on her toes, aiming for Pownder. Rose smiled, wondering how far this one would fly. But her leg stopped in mid-flight. Elwood stood before his partner, a knife clenched tightly in both hands.

"Pownder, step back." Elwood didn't want to have to use 'that move' on a girl. Feeling the pressure back away, he kicked away the leg. He shot up into the air, Rose staring up at him, a look of uninterest crossing her features. Elwood hastily pushed back his clock, revealing dozens of knives sown to the inside of the fabric, allowing him to carry more than he ever could before. He was directly above Pownder. Good.

"Infinite Fang." He'd been saving this move to pummel Gamma to the ground, but Elwood had more. He began to spin rapidly, knives shooting like bullets down at the girl. It was even more difficult with just attacking one person.

Pownder stood below, staring in sheer awe. The knives were just blurs, but Rose didn't seem to move an inch. His thumb felt the belt around his waist, wondering if he should fight too. But he froze. He saw her. Rose was moving. Avoiding the knives by an inch, knocking them away. It was a few seconds before Elwood saw it too, and he stopped.

It was Pownder's turn now. He grabbed the dual ended matchsticks, slashing the ends against his belt. The fire caught, and Pownder began the dance. He lept forward at Rose, twirling the sticks. Behind him, he heard Elwood protesting. He swung forward, but Elwood was between them in a second.

"Okay. We can compromise." Elwood tried, glancing between the two.

-8 days later.-

"Red City." Rose said grimly. Buildings towered over the three. "Will we get more rings here?" Elwood nodded, looking for any signs of familiarity. It was a day before he and Gamma were supposed to meet, but they should be here. The three wandered into the City Square. People were at work, a few passing through the large opening, free of parking lots, buildings, houses.

"Oh. We have company." Rose broke Elwood of his thoughts. She was tensed, waiting for something. Pownder glanced around, looking for the company. Something revved, like a chainsaw. And from the sky, Gamma Akutabi fell. He landed with a heavy thud, his sword growling angrily. Something brown blurred next to him, Smith. A malicious grin spread across Gamma's face, Smith scowling.

"Well, well, well. You made it." Gamma's voice was exactly like Elwood remembered. "Interesting friends." Before Elwood or Pownder could even move, Rose lept forward, her leg high in the air. She twirled, her foot attempting to shatter through Gamma. Both lept back in surprise, and the earth shattered beneath her blow. Rose stood, lips drawn over her teeth, a seething glare aimed at both. Elwood chuckled a bit. Pownder lit his weapons, twirling them gracefully, grinning. Elwood's hand blurred, knives held loosely between his fingers.

"Let's get started, shall we?"

Author's Note:...I like this chapter better than the first. Do you? I hope this one gets some reviews. I hope you all enjoyed it!


	3. Red City Begins

Author's Note: Do you think no reviews will stop me from writing?...Its only been 2 chapters. Enjoy this one, silent readers.

"Lets get started, shall we?" Rose shot forward, Elwood and Pownder following no later. But Smith reacted in time. Rose almost blurred, avoiding the bullets.

"Who IS this girl?" Gamma's sword swung from behind. Rose couldn't glance, the smooth barrel of the gun aimed at her head.

"Dance of Fire: Hell Spin!" A single matchstick slammed against the sword, holding its own. The other stick spun rapidly, finding an opening from Gamma's attack. Gamma froze for a single moment, the spinning fire ripping and burning through flesh. He lept back before the wound could get any deeper.

Rose ducked almost immedeately, crouching and leaning at the same moment. Balancing weight on one single leg, the other shot forward, uppercutting Smith. He fell, slamming onto the concrete. Gamma was busy dueling with Pownder, but Smith stared upwards, warm blood filling his mouth.

"GAMMA!" He gestured upwards as Gamma forced back his opponent. Elwood was airbourne again, his arms blurring. Knives flew into the ground, surrounding Gamma and Smith. Rose nodded to Pownder, and they lept away. Elwood stopped, but no knives had hit either of them. Gamma stared at them. Small metallic balls were attatched to every single one of them. An invisible thread lead upwards to Elwood. He held a small, silver ring between his teeth, glaring down at the two.

"Dragon's Breath." He hissed. He head reared back, grasping the ring tightly. The strings pulled, and the balls tugged. Finnaly, they seemed to reach their limit, and they burst, unleashing waves of fire upon Gamma and Smith. Elwood observed, watching the fire engulf them. He scoffed, falling back to earth.

Rose lept beside him, dragging Pownder. Gamma heaved, black flames burning out around himself and his partner. Elwood was smug.

"We win." He chirped. Rose nodded, giggling. Gamma scowled, Smith's face an eerie deadpan. They sauntered to the three with maddening slowness.

"So, who're they?" Gamma drawled, slamming the sword into the ground.

"I'm Rose. That's Pownder." The girl stepped forward, nodding to both of them. "So, are we working together now?"

Noone replied. A sudden pressure dawned upon them all, everyone falling to their knees. But Rose remained standing, unfazed. The smile was wiped away from her face. From the building tops, silhouettes loomed ominously.

"Red City.." She murmured. "Is known for its gangs. But above all of them, there was a group of Powder Hunters." Some of the shadowed figures crouched, some had lept down to the nearby alleyways. "A group of Powder Hunters that I was once a member of."

They were all cloaked, surrounding them all. Rose merely stared at the ground, the others laying flat on the earth from the pressure.

"The Poisonous Garden." Rose deadpanned, and things faded.

Author's Note: OKAY! I'm really excited, because the next chapter starts my first one-on-one fights. Yup! I'll still writing, despite lack of reviews. So THERE...(But a review would make me feel better.)


	4. Poisonous Garden

Author's Note: I got my first review! Someone told me they liked the story, but wished it had yaoi. I've been thinking of putting El and Gamma back together. Its a great possibility. So, now begins the one on one fights.

Elwood woke up, groggily staring around. It was a large, white room. And a man loomed over him. He was large, muscular, holding a giant silver mallet over his shoulder. Once he caught sight of his prey awakening, he sneered.

"I am Dandelion of the Poisonous Garden." His voice was incredibly deep. "There is nothing else I need to know. You need to know. You are my prey. And I'll destroy you."

"Nice rant." Elwood began, but the hammer swung. A sickening crack echoed through the room, and Elwood slammed into a wall.

* * *

Pownder found himself set against a wall. The room has an extremely high ceiling, it was like a forest. Trees, vines, grass, earth. But before him, a tall, lanky man stood. Spiked green hair, crazed red eyes, probably the result of contacts. His mouth was covered with tightly wrapped bandages. He crouched forward, panting heavily. Staring at Pownder, he laughed, giddy.

"I am the Venus Flytrap.." His voice was hoarse, an eerie rasp. His arms were unnaturally long, twitching every few minutes. "So...So hungry." In a mere second, he was inches from Pownder. He saw the dried blood staining the bandages. An arm shot into Pownder, crushing him against a wall. "I NEED TO FEAST!"

* * *

Rose stood in silence for an hour now. She remembered this room well. It used to be hers. A shadowed room of mirrors. Finally, a woman stepped forward. Honey blonde hair, cropped in every direction. She held a whip in one hand, eyes fiercely glaring at Rose.

"Ivy." Rose's voice was still soft. "Have you put it upon yourself to look like me?" The woman growled. "Are you my replacement?"

"The Poisonous Garden abandons their names, taking the name of the plant..." Ivy's voice was low. Rose's lips tugged upwards in a slight smile. "So put it on the line."

"Put what?" Rose smiled again. Something cracked. The whip lashed out, a silver heart on the end slashing through Rose's cheek. She gingerly touched it. The wound was fairly deep. It was razor.

"The title of Rose." Ivy stepped forward. "The title of true leadership of the Poisonous Garden!"

* * *

Smith observed everything around him. A dank labratory. People chained to tables and walls, begging for death. A woman stepped out from the shadows. Long, braided cornsilk hair, dark blue eyes. A horn portruded from her head, from her elbows. Her hands were like claws.

"Nice look," Smith commented. The woman giggled. Her fingers flexed, a metallic cracking echoing through the room.

"I am Thorn." A demonic tone shot through her lips. "And there's only one question to be answered."

"What would that be?" Smith chirped. Thorn giggled again.

"Is wheather you'll become a test subject without force." From the wall behind smith, iron restraints shot around his wrists and ankles. Another shot around his chest, and Thorn lept at him.

* * *

Gamma was uninterested. In everything. The girl was stood before him, the plain, dojo-like room. Maybe it was because he couldn't find the rings. Or maybe it was because he couldn't move any part of his body. His eyes flickered to something stirring in the air. A silver gas. Or was it a poison?

"I am the current leader of the Poisonous Garden." A woman stepped forward. "My name is Oak. And you, Gamma Akutabi, have fallen prey to my Paralyzing Poison."

"Ahh." Gamma struggled again. She was tall, straight black hair. Grey eyes, a sardonic smile.

"Don't bother, Mr. Akutabi. Don't bother worrying about your teammates. About yourself." She laughed softly. "All of you have woken up. And you have fallen into the Poisonous Garden."

Author's Note: I LIKE this chapter. I think its my best so far. I hope this one gets some reviews. This is just the beginning of the fights. I wanted to introduce everyone.


	5. Brute Force

Author's Note: I am so bored today. And I need to write. Enjoy, the fights begin. First up, Rose and Elwood.

"The title of leadership to Poisonous Garden?" Rose repeated softly. A smile spread across her face, her hands clenching into tight fights. "I don't believe that was ever up for grabs."

"You left us," Ivy hissed. "You don't get to still lead us." She lept into the air, cracking the whip. Rose kicked off to the side, avoiding the attack by inches.

"Don't get me wrong," Rose's smile broadened. "I did leave. But when I left, Poisonous Garden was supposed to crumble."

"QUIET!" Ivy screeched. She lashed the whip again, and Rose lept onto it, darting upwards gracefully. She was inches from Ivy now, her face serious.

"But since you're being so stubborn, my friends and I.." She swung her leg in a short arc, sending Ivy into a wall below. "We'll just have to force it to it's knees..."

* * *

Every cell in Elwood's body ached. He leaned against the shattered wall, struggling to breathe. His mouth was warm with blood. He gasped, the crimson liquid spilling onto the floor. Falling to his knees, Elwood gagged. Dandelion's laughter boomed. He saw the hammer rise once more. And he let it fall.

Elwood slammed into the floor, feeling the earth beneath him shatter into pieces. He screamed, hearing a bone break. His arm twitched. He realized the cloak that held most of his knives was gone. The hammer swung from behind him, Elwood flying into a wall. He could get a position sitting up now. A rib was broken. Elwood pushed past all of the pain, drawing a few knives. His vision hazed, but he threw some. They slashed through Dandelion's feet, sinking into the ground.

"YOU INSOLENT LITTLE TWIRP!" He rushed over. Elwood supported himself standing, sinking two knives into the wall behind him. The hammer was close to his head. He lept to the side as Elwood threw more knives. The boy kicked his feet off the earth, avoiding another blow. He shoved another knife into the earth, rolling to his side. Fragments of the shattered earth sliced his cheek. The hammer swung again, and Elwood's scream echoed through the room once more.

* * *

Rose loomed over Ivy. When did her friend get so weak? She blinked, and a smile spread across her face. The fallen Ivy suddenly lept forward, the whip wrapping around Rose's legs. Tugging it once, Ivy grinned, the whip seeming to reach its limit.

"Curling Vines!" She pulled down quickly, the whip coiling around Rose's legs tightly. She lost balence, and as she fell, it uncoiled quickly. The razor heart slashed around her legs, her bones snapping. Rose screamed, falling onto the ground. Blood pooled around her, Rose struggling to move. Blood was flooding around her. The taste of iron reached her mouth. The moment it touched her lips, some nerve inside her went off.

"Alright then," Rose hissed. She slowly stood, Ivy turning. "We'll get serious. And I'll show you." Her fist slammed into the wall behind her, the mirrors shattering in a chorus of rings. Bloodlust radiated from her more than ever before. "How I ever got to lead a group as powerful as the Poisonous Garden."

* * *

"It's over, isn't it?" Dandelion stared at the pitiful mess before him. Elwood groaned, struggling to breathe. His ribcage ached with every breath. The rest of his knives were scattered across the room, stabbing walls and floors. All of them missed Dandelion.

"I'll remove the weeds like I'm supposed to." He heaved a sigh. He spun the hammer a few times, rising it high above Elwood. The hammer shot down, shattering the earth, Elwood flying across the room.

"J-just a few more steps.." Elwood whispered. Dandelion swung again, Elwood fell to the ground before the hammer hit. The hammer was too long for Dandelion to even move.

"What was that?" He rushed forward, and he was in the perfect position. Elwood's hand tugged down. Wires tugged on the knives, ripping them from the ground, right in front of Dandelion. Elwood was pushing his limits as he dashed to the other side, immediately pulling. All of the knives sunk into Dandelion.

"Steel Bite!" His hand pulled as much as possible. The knives sunk further, deep into the skin. He released the wires, praying his moment would last. He pulled a last knife from his pocket, leaping forward. He climbed onto Dandelion's back, shoving the knife into his skull.

Dandelion fell forward, blood pooling around his corpse. Elwood lept back, finding a wall. He leaned against it, grasping his sides. His head leaned back, and things began to fade.

* * *

Ivy's whip cracked again. Rose blurred as she advanced forward, slapping it away. Ivy flipped in the air, manuevering the whip around her neck. She was perfectly in mid-air, Ivy sneering.

"Whiplash Vine!" She began to tug, but Rose clenched it. She pulled it down tightly, glowering at Ivy. Her palm slammed into the oncoming Ivy, a sickening crack echoing through the room. Blood gushed from her mouth.

"I'm done fooling around with you, Ivy." Rose threw Ivy across the room. "You were never at my level." She rushed over, punching Ivy across the face. Ivy lashed out the whip, but Rose was too quick for it. She let a low growl rumble from her throat, crushing the razor heart. "So what makes you think you can become leader?"

"R-rose.." Ivy gasped. Her hand twitched, and the whip lashed against Rose's wounds, digging deeper. Rose let out a scream and Ivy took her chance. She coiled the rope around Rose's neck, darting behind her.

Rose's fingers gently wrapped around the rope. A snarl ripped from her throat as she lashed her arm forward, breaking through the whip. She turned to Ivy, and blurred. The pain ripped through her leg as she lifted it, swinging in an arc. Ivy flew across the room, but Rose met with her. She crouched, bending backwards as she kicked Ivy into the air, flipping.

"Rose Bush!" Ivy fell from the sky, and Rose's palm shot into Ivy's jaw, shattering thebone all together, allowing the blood to spill onto the ground.

Author's Note: My first two fights. Next chapter, Smith and Pownder!


End file.
